Once upon a millennium ago, in the enchanted land of Equestria, there were two royal sisters, who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the elder sister controlled the sun and day, bringing warmth and light, while the younger controlled the night, to bring it to peace and rest. For many years, peace was maintained within the boundaries of the kingdom, though not for long. As each day went by, the ponies of Equestria worshiped the elder sister more and more as she brought them her glorious day. Though, the younger sister didn't care, for she was a shy creature, rarely venturing out of her own chambers, but that was how she liked it. But the elder one wouldn't have this, and wanted her sister to enjoy the praise and glory as much as her; time went by, but she could do nothing to persuade her. All she could do was revel in the praise of her own, but eventually, her pride in her kingdom became a dark sin of arrogance. She eventually came to believe that day was the purest of the two, and that her sister and her precious night were a plague upon it. The younger sister tried to reason with her, but the pomposity of the elder one had transformed her into a cursed sorceress: Day Blight. She vowed she would end the darkness by exterminating all those affiliated with it and bringing eternal light to Equestria. With no other choice, the younger sister harnessed the most powerful magic ever conceived of by pony kind: The Elements of Harmony. Using their immense power, she brought together the twin moons of Equestria's sky and forever imprisoned her sister within them. The young princess then proceeded to take on the roles of her sister, bringing harmony to Equestria by giving it the harmonious day and night as it was meant to be, a realization that might've changed everything if it had come to her sister in time...
"Wow, that's some heavy stuff. I can't imagine going through that, banishing your own sibling..." said a young unicorn with an orange-yellow coat with cream-colored marks on her face and hooves, and a flaming red mane that curled over to the side of her head. She had a blazing sun cutie mark with six stars orbiting around it and wore a cyan striped scarf. She was lying down in a small tree fort in the middle of a dense, snow-covered, wood, reading a book of legends. "It is written that the princess locked the elements, in an ancient sanctuary no pony else would ever be told about until the day those chosen would uncover it and wield the elements once again. Hmm, you know, I can't help but feel like I've heard this somewhere before, but I've read about the tale of the mare in the moon hundreds of times since I was a filly. What am I missing... Come on Sunset Shimmer, think!" The young mare hit her head a few times as she tried so very hard to recall where else she had seen this legend until it finally hit her like a bowling ball. "Huh, that's it! I've got to see my brother!"
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The flame-haired mare packed up her saddlebag with her books and slid down a vine to the forest floor. Bounding crevasses of dormant cragadiles and sneaking past packs of Snow Leopards, she ran until she came up to a massive wall, with a mighty gate. She walked up to the door and faced a gear with a single crystal, as big as her head in the center of it; she touched it for five seconds until it began to glow. A massive series of gears could be heard, roaring within the walls and the door shook, until the single gear seen turned horizontally and the doors opened wide. Beyond them lay a sparkling village of Oak houses and small wild animals. "Everfree Village, home sweet home." The mare smiled proudly as she walked into the village, the doors closing behind her. At one time, the Everfree Forest was savage and feared, so the wall had been built to protect the village, but after several hundred years the ponies living in it had become all too familiar with it and even domesticated some of it's more dangerous species. "Ah, I can't think of a better place to live. Fresh forest air, cute little animals, there's nowhere else I'd rather... OOF!" Just as she had gotten lost in thought, she had run into another mare; she was a pegasus with a violet coat and a dark blue mane that had two bright stripes of teal and gold. Her cutie mark was a 6 pointed star with a shimmering galaxy behind it. "Oh, my Luminara, I'm so sorry! I didn't watch where I was going."
"Whuh, um, umuh..." the purple mare stammered. Sunset quickly picked up and organized everything they had dropped between them.
"It was an accident, I'm in such a rush I didn't see." Sunset continued to pick up their things, but the pegasus was trembling at the sight of Sunset; she was moving so fast and the mare was so very shy. "Wind and Wonder by the Twin Wings? Starswirls's Guide to Runes and Relics, the complete ten-book collection?! Wow, you and I like a lot of the same literature. Oh, look at the time, I've gotta be going! Hmm, belongs to Sundown Sparkle, I'm guessing that's you. Well, see you around! We should go for tea sometime!" Sunset ran off as quickly as she had appeared to the mare, leaving her behind completely confused and befuddled.
"Um..." she said to herself. "Huh?!"
"Don't mind her," A mint colored earth pony with a heart shaped guitar cutie mark walked up from behind her, followed by a cream colored unicorn with a mane split into navy and pink, with a cutie mark of 3 candy hearts. "Sunset Shimmer can be a little... enthusiastic."
"You think we'll actually see her at the festival tonight?" asked the unicorn.
"Not if the bookstore has any new science fiction novels in stock," the earth pony replied sarcastically.
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Sunset walked around the corner to a street of stores and walked down to one on the corner of the other side entitled Lost and Found in Time, Quality Antiques. She walked inside, ringing the bell on the door, and looked around a room filled with hundreds of priceless antiques, from vases to jewelry. A unicorn stallion walked out from the back; he had a yellow coat with white marks on his hooves and his face, as well as a messy orange mane and a cutie mark of a sun with three flares coming out of it, one larger than the others.
"Sunburst!" Sunset cried as she ran up to give him a hug.
"Shimmy!" the stallion cried as he opened his hooves and reciprocated her loving embrace.
"I need your help, one of your old tablets, it might be urgent!" Sunset said a little nervous.
"Well, you know me Shimmy, anything to help my big sister," he gladly replied with a smile. He walked behind a curtain to the back as he continued to talk. "Which tablet did you need to look at, exactly."
"The big one from the dig at the Chicomoztoc River," she explained. "The one about the Mare in the Moon."
"The Mare in the Moon?" Sunburst said curiously confused. "That's just an old fairy tale, like the Chaotic Plague or the City of Crystal."
"Yeah, well tell that to the pony who carved the huge thing," Sunset replied.
"Mmm, ah! Here it is," he said as he walked out with a tablet of silver-lined stone. "I keep these things until I've finished deciphering them, but I've been working on this one for five years now."
"But, you have deciphered it, you read it to me once," Sunset said.
"Well," Sunburst began. "There's a difference between knowing what it says, and what it means. Look, it says right here...
All those wise should cower in fear
On the longest night of the thousandth year
The stars shall align, an eclipse shall ensue
Until the moon cracks and splits in two
A seal broken by lurking eyes
As flames rain down from the skies
To ensure the harmony's return at the revealing cry
The first step to it awaits inside.
"This is it!" Sunset exclaimed. "Oh no, this is bad. If the prophecy is right, that means Day Blight will return, TONIGHT!" Sunburst sighed and shook his head.
"Sunset, you get a little too anxious when you get into those books of yours," he replied. "Hundreds of these old things turned out to be hooey, like the Flyan Calendar predicting the world's end... Last year. Come on, the Winter Solstice Celebration is tonight, let's just put the books on the shelf and have some fun." Sunburst began putting Sunset's books away, but she was frantic and began to pack her bag with her bits of evidence.
"No time!" she exclaimed. "If Day Blight is coming back, we've gotta do everything we can to stop it!" Sunset opened the door, preparing to go out. "I'll be back in an hour or two, I'm going to see the Princess." Sunset rushed out the door before Sunburst could even process what she'd said.
"Okay, that's nice Sunset. But hurry back I... WHAT?!!!!" He exclaimed in shock. He rushed just out the door and tried to call his sister back. "Sunset, Wait! The Princess has enough to worry about already! SUNSET!" She ran out of view before he could finish his thought, leaving him worried. "Oh boy, here we go again..."
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"Please, I must see the Princess immediately, it's an emergency!" Sunset was at the gates of the Princess’ castle, stopped in her tracks by a pair of guards. This was not helping the situation, and she was getting tired of waiting in the cold.
"Has something happened in the village?" the first guard asked.
"Well, no, not yet," Sunset replied. "But it will if I don't see the Princess right now!"
"Miss is that a threat?!" the second one asked sternly.
"No, it's a warning!" Sunset explained. "Look, just please let me speak with her for five minutes, otherwise we may have a worldwide catastrophe on our hooves!"
"Wait a minute," the first guard started. "I've heard of you, you're that imaginative mare from the west side of the town! What is there no one left in the village to tell your stories to?"
"What?!" Sunset exclaimed. "B-b-but I have proof, I just need to ask her about..."
"Oh no," the second guard groaned. "Look, kid, we're on duty here, and we're trying to keep things peaceful for the festival tonight. So why don't you just take your fanfictions and head back to your writing desk?"
"B-but I was just trying to prevent the rise of Day Blight," Sunset tried to explain rationally, but was failing to as the two guards started dragging her away. "Wait! you don't understand, I need to..."
"It's okay, Stallions, she's with me," A blue unicorn with a light blue mane in a ponytail, with a cutie mark of a moon with 3 stars cut out of it walked up to them. She wore a solid pink scarf and fluff-laced boots and seemed to hold a presence of importance.
"Oh, um, so sorry Miss Lulamoon," the first guard said.
"We, um, will just leave you two to your business," the second guard continued as they both walked away. Lulamoon walked up to Sunset, as she used her magic to help her pick up the books she'd dropped as the guards were "escorting" her out.
"Um, t-thanks," Sunset said in shock. "I'm Sunset Shimmer."
"Call me Lulamoon," she said as she extended her hoof, for Sunset to shake. "Now, what was it you were saying about Day Blight?"
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Lulamoon brought Sunset down a long hall, lined with shimmering suits of armor and tapestries that seemed to depict great moments in history. Sunset couldn't help but gape her mouth open in awe at everything she'd seen; she had never imagined she'd witness something as amazing as this.
"The Princess should be down this corridor, in the throne room as usual," Lulamoon explained, though she just smiled as Sunset didn't seem to be listening, she seemed too awestruck. "Pretty amazing, huh?"
"Um, sorry, yeah it is," Sunset replied. Sunset was amazed by what she was seeing, but couldn't help but feel a little on edge by this mare. "Can I ask you a question?" Lulamoon raised an eyebrow and then nodded, feeling a little estranged. "Why are you taking me so seriously? Nopony in the village ever does, but here you are." Lulamoon looked up to the ceiling with one eyebrow aloft, as one would do trying to think of how to say something, but after a moment simply shrugged.
"Let's just say," she began. "I learned long ago to believe in the more... impossible things. If I didn't I wouldn't have this cutie mark." Sunset opened her mouth, about to say something else, but Lulamoon prevented her as they had reached a large pair of doors with two unicorn guards. "I'd like to speak with the Princess, it's of the utmost urgency." The two guards nodded and began to open the doors with their magic. "You need to talk like that, otherwise nopony takes you seriously here either. Come on, don't be nervous, the Princess is a lot more intimate than everyone thinks." The two of them walked down a massive chamber, lined with a red carpet that led up to two massive thrones with two other tapestries depicting the sun and the moon above them. In the throne under that of the moon sat a tall blue alicorn with a cutie mark of a moon and a single star, on top of white clouded body patterns. She wore silver plated clothing with blue jewels, and her mane flowed with a mystic aura that depicted a cosmic sky within it. Sunset was trembling at the sight of her; here she was, standing in the royal throne room about to meet the most regal pony in Equestria.
"Ah, Lulamoon," the Princess spoke. "So, what brings my most faithful student here, during the most celebratory of occasions?"
"Princess Luminara," Lulamoon began. "I've brought somepony who has need of your wisdom, this is..."
"Hmm? Ah, Sunset Shimmer," Luminara interrupted. Lulamoon and Sunset suddenly became shocked that she knew Sunset's name. Sunset couldn't help but shake a bit until her nervousness caught up with her and she bowed, on the spot. "Oh come, none of that now, I won't have that from the ponies of my home village." Sunset blushed a bit as she nervously got up and back on her hooves.
"Heh, sorry," she stuttered. "Um, with all due respect Princess, how do you know my name? Has my reputation gotten that bad?" Lulamoon raised her eyebrow at that comment as Sunset frowned a little; what was she talking about?
"Hmhah," the Princess laughed. "No, my little pony, it's only right that a proper leader knows all her subjects, especially in her home village." Sunset smiled a bit as the Princess turned her head toward the back window, behind them between the two tapestries, as the smile on her face began to fade. "Forgive me if I did not see you immediately, sight has a habit of escaping me sometimes..." She walked toward the window for a moment and began to look reminiscent as she stared at the tapestry of the sun.
"Princess Luminara was blinded in one eye a long time ago," Lulamoon whispered to Sunset. "There's nopony alive who's known her before when she could use both of them." Sunset looked at Luminara with subtle shock; to think all this time and she'd never heard about the tragedy on her leader.
"But enough of that," Luminara interrupted. "What can I do for you today, Sunset?"
"Oh, um right," Sunset said, nervously. "You see, your highness, I have reason to believe we are on the verge of a national disaster." Sunset brought everything in her bag and explained thoroughly, the Princess listening to every word with a smile, which gave Sunset confidence that she'd made a convincing case. "So you see, Princess, If we don't look into this I'm afraid Day Blight may return tonight, and I don't think there's any way we can stop her if she does." Luminara raised one brow in thought, which worried Sunset for a moment until she smiled again.
"Lulamoon, Guards, would you all give us a moment of privacy please?" she asked. Lulamoon and the guards bowed their heads and complied. Sunset couldn't help but shudder a bit at the idea of being alone with the Princess; she thought she would either be rewarded for her work or scrutinized for her wild imagination. "Come, let me show you something." Luminara flew up to a balcony on the back window and brought Sunset up with her magic, she then pointed out the window. Sunset looked to see the most amazing view; the entire town could be seen, everypony working, foals playing, setting up for the festival, but it left Sunset confused. "I may have trouble seeing, but every day I come up here to remind myself of where I am, and what it is I am working to lead. Seeing all of you out there is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world for me, it makes me smile to know you're all safe and happy."
"It is an amazing view Princess," Sunset replied. "But, what are you trying to say?"
"You are a very passionate young mare," she explained. "I can see it in your eyes, but all that passion, and I've only ever seen you in town to pass through the gates." Sunset was trying to understand, but still seemed to be lost; just what was she implying? Luminara manifested a staircase for Sunset and began to walk her down, towards the door. "You've been living here with your brother for almost a year, yet everypony only knows you by the reputation your brother built up for you before you came, and you don't know anypony but your brother." Sunset winced a little bit; what she said was meant to be constructive, but it felt a bit like an attack. "You are correct, Day Blight’s return is a serious matter, but as Princess, it's my job to worry about serious matters."
"But Princess, I..." Sunset began but was stopped by Luminara, just as they reached the door before she could finish.
"How about this," she said. "I'll look at your tablet and work to find a solution right now if you can help me by checking to make sure the preparations are in order for tonight." Sunset hesitated at the idea, clearly, she was trying to make her go out and fraternize with the other ponies, but Sunset was too afraid of the idea. "Sunset Shimmer, I give you my personal word that everything will be alright if you let me do my job. Do we have a deal?" Sunset was still uncertain, but the Princess was very persistent, and she did give her word.
"Alright Princess, I'll try," Sunset agreed. She brought out the tablet from her bag and gave it to her for study. Meanwhile, Luminara opened the door to find Lulamoon falling down from trying to eavesdrop, which made both of them laugh a bit.
"Seeing as how you are already informed about the situation, Lulamoon," the Princess began with a smirk on her face. "Would you please accompany Sunset, and show her to where she must go?"
"Eheh, certainly your highness," Lulamoon said with a blush. "This way, Sunset." Sunset handed the Princess the tablet and followed Lulamoon. As the two of them disappeared down the hall, Luminara muttered something to herself.
"All is going as it should..."
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Sunset frowned a bit as she and Lulamoon strolled through the village; here she was, looking for ponies to check on decorations when she should've been preparing with everypony for the disaster yet to come.
"I love the village, at winter time," Lulamoon said breaking the silence. "I know we have one too many festivals already, but there's something about the Festival of the Winter Solstice that makes me feel... peaceful I guess," Sunset grunted a bit at how casual she was acting as if there was no risk of danger at all. "Sunset, are you okay? Do you still feel like the Princess blew you off?"
"Just a little irritated," Sunset replied. "I know she said she'd look at it, but I don't think she's taking this seriously. She'd rather have me go out and try to find some friends, the faith of Equestria isn't going to depend on me finding friends. Not like I'll be able to in one afternoon anyway..."
"Does this have something to do with that reputation you mentioned earlier?" Lulamoon asked. "What did you mean by that?"
"Um," Sunset stuttered as she blushed. "Nothing important, let's just get this over with. Where's the first pony?" Lulamoon pulled out a list and scanned it for the information on the food.
"In the orchards just up ahead," she said. The two of them came upon a small field of purple trunked trees, with dark purple leaves that seemed to spark inexplicably. "We're looking for a mare named... OUCH!" A rainbow colored apple suddenly fell from the tree and shocked her on the head at the same time. The two mares looked up just before several more began falling down on their heads. "OW! What's doing that?!" When they stopped, they glanced to find a cream colored pegasus with an orange mane, 3 freckles on each side of her face, and a red bonnet on her head with matching boots and coat. Her cutie mark was an apple with some sort of an apple pastry behind it. The mare's eyes suddenly winced up into a worried expression as they looked at her.
"Oops!" She said backing behind the leaves a bit, just before she flew down. "Ah'm so sorry, Ah didn't see y'all standin' there. Ah was just tryin' to bring in today's harvest, Ah wasn't expecting anypony to walk in! Not that Ah'm not glad yer here, Ah just mean Ah thought Ah was clear for pickin'..." The mare continued to ramble as she frantically picked up every apple, which could only leave the two unicorns stunned. "But it ain't a big problem since the Timberwolves can't get in to fertilize the trees, bein' the town's closed off anyway." Sunset had blanked out for a second and had no idea how they got to that topic, but didn't want to know.
"Ow!" Sunset became more annoyed as another apple landed on her head, and stuck to her horn. "Why are you even growing in the middle of winter anyway? It's not like you can control the crazy weather in the Everfree forest."
"No, but Zapple trees are a mighty fickle bunch," she explained. "Ya never know when, but if you tend to 'em just right, they'll sprout many times each year."
"I thought I recognized you," Lulamoon interjected. "You're an Apple, from the Southern Apples, your family runs the entire Zapple market!"
"Yes indeedy," the mare smiled. "They call me Apple Pasty! Bein' as how Ah might've cause y'all a mite of pain with mah carelessness, how's about Ah show y'all 'round the ranch?! It's pretty amazin' how we tend to the Zapple trees!" Sunset was about to decline her offer, but before she could blink Apple Pasty had dragged the both of them to the other side of the farm. "So, this is our backfield, where we grow most other fruits and veggies, though clearly not now bein' winter an' all. Over there is our greenhouse, where we do grow in the winter and work on special Zapple hybrids, like green Zapples, golden Zapples, red delicious Zapples, red gala..." Apple Pasty only continued to talk and talk as she dragged them both around the farm, which to say the least made the two mares quite dizzy. "And there's the barn, right next to the Storm Silo where mah Ma and Ah store all the storms we make to tend to the Zapple Trees. And right there's the farm house where me and mah family live and cook all the Quality Apple Family Homemade Zapple dishes." Sunset shook off the dizzy spell and walked up to Apple Pasty.
"That's very nice, um Pasty," she said. "But, we only came to..." Before she could finish a loud bell suddenly rang from the direction of the house, which only got Apple Pasty even more excited.
"Speakin' of which," she began. "Y'all got here just in time to take a look at the spread!" Before they knew it, Apple Pasty had pushed the two of them into the house, as her family began bringing out massive portions of food, enough to feed a small town for a week. "We've got Zapple Pickles, Zapple Tarts, Zapple Strudels, Zapple Dumplin's, Zapple Sass, Zapple Fritters.... And the Zapple of everypony's eye, hehuh! Apple family brand Zapple Cider!" Sunset and Lulamoon's eyes just froze open in shock at all the food they'd suddenly made.
"Well," Lulamoon side. "I guess that means we can tell the Princess the food's taken care of."
"Um, I guess so," Sunset concurred.
"The wha?" Apple Pasty interjected. "Oh, the food for the festival? Don't worry, we've got that covered too." The two mares snapped back a second time in even greater surprise; all THIS wasn't the food for the festival?!
"Then what in the name of Luminara is all this?!" Sunset said in shock.
"This? This is just brunch," Apple Pasty said. Sunset and Lulamoon's mouths couldn't be pried more open if they had a crowbar; this enormous feast and they were but a small family of five. "Well, of course, we made enough food for y'all too, so let's dig in!" Every Apple suddenly dove in and started gorging themselves on the enormous meal in front of them. Though Lulamoon began eating with them Sunset was more than a little hesitant. She was sat next to the filly of the group, and needless to say, she could've used some table manners, as crumbs kept flying everywhere
"Um thanks but," she started to say. "Um, you're very kind, but we... That is to say... Ugh!" Sunset tried to shake her mane free of crumbs but failed as more got stuck with every one she shook. She tried to speak, but couldn't get a word in edgewise. "Lulamoon, we don't have time for... OW!" Another huge crumb flew into her eye before she could finish her thought.
"They're being pretty hospitable, Sunset," she irritably said wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Huh, look, we'll be out of here faster if you just eat anyway, so you might as well try to enjoy it. Besides, how can you say no to free Zapple pastries?!" Lulamoon looked to the Apples and then began to join them as they all chowed down on their food. Sunset only groaned as she began eating, though she had trouble enjoying it as more and more crumbs flew into her coat and mane.
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"Bye! So long! Don't be strangers now, ya hear?!" Apple Pasty called out to them as they walked away.
"We won't!" Lulamoon happily said as she rubbed her stuffed belly. The two of them were heading back to town, taking the snow covered path that ran by a snow-capped mountain. As the path got snowier as they walked along, Sunset only irately picked the crumbs out of her now breaded mane. "Oh, not even the castle kitchen can measure up to the Apple family's cooking. I don't see why you're not more full." Sunset picked the last crumb out of her hair, but spit one out before answering.
"Trust me, I got my fill," Sunset mumbled. "Who's next on the list?" Lulamoon pulled out the list again, checking off the food preparations and scanned down to...
"Entertainment," she said. "OH! I know where that is! That'll be Party Favor's department, he always handles the fun parts for the town's parties, everything from the games and decorations to the wild party music. This way will actually give us a shortcut to the bakery, where he works."
"Fine," Sunset grimaced. "Let's just hurry up before something else gets in my mane. OOF!" A small pile of snow fell onto Sunset's head as they reached the cliff, followed by a sudden shout coming from the top. They looked up to see an earth pony in a plum scarf and goggles sliding down incredibly fast on a snowboard. Their jocular cries made them sound like they were having the time of their life, as they whizzed by every obstacle in a display of tremendous tricks and styles. Even as they approached a cliff ahead, they only kept going, until they seemed to speed up as they catapulted off a ramping rock, still in mid-air over the cliff as they did what seemed to be a dozen flips. Unfortunately, this completely distracted the two mares below from the pile of snow that was now coming over the side. It was too late to move, though they would've been buried if they hadn't been standing about ten feet behind it. Sunset breathed a sigh of relief until the sound of the earth pony screaming grew louder until they landed in front of them in the fresh pile of snow, spraying the unicorns in a small flurry. The snow died down as the earth pony took off their goggles to reveal a young stallion with a pale blue coat and a silver and white striped mane with a snowflake cutie mark. He looked at them with a blank face for a moment, until a smile slowly crept over his face into a big grin, as he burst into laughter.
"HAHAHAHOOOOOOOOOOO!" he cried out at the top of his lungs. "THAT-WAS-AWESOME!!!!! Dude! I didn't even know I could go that fast! Whaddya think, pretty cool right?!" Sunset only held her previous grimaced look, while Lulamoon shook off the snow and grinned almost as much as the stallion.
"Uh, yeah!" she said ecstatically. "I've never seen anypony go that fast, at least nopony who wasn't a pegasus."
"Thanks," replied the stallion. "I'm Snow Banks! Looks like you dudes caught me in the middle of my EXTREME SNOW SLIDING CHALLENGE!"
"Funny, looked like you were snowboarding from where I'm standing," Sunset said with a sneer, though Snow Banks didn't seem to notice.
"Wha," he said confused. "No, that's what I was doing, I just trying to kick down the snow so.... Huh, oooooh! Ahahahaha! I get it, that's pretty funny!"
"Why are you trying to bring down all this snow anyway?" Lulamoon asked. "You know somepony could get hurt."
"I know," he replied. "But I've gotta get as much training as I can so I can someday ride with the best of the best: The Snow Breakers! They're the most radical, bodacious, extreme snow athletes ever to shred Equestria! I'm gonna be leading them someday! And since I had to get the snow for the Festival's Foal Crafts area anyway, I figured why not grind two curls with one shred, know what I'm saying?!" Sunset had essentially no idea what this stallion was talking about but just became more irritated the closer he got to her. "Well, I've gotta get back to the grind. I like you, dudes, let's hang next time we crash! Laters!" The stallion slid down his goggles as he ran back up the mountain. Little did he see that Sunset's face turned an angry red, causing the snow on her head to melt off the sides and get her even wetter.
"Well, that saves us the trouble of checking on him," Lulamoon said as they walked away. "Check On Snow Supply for Festival."
"I just hope the next guy isn't as crazy as he was," Sunset angsted. Lulamoon's face went worried as she said that, but shook her head and decided not to say anything, better not to get her upset about it now.
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Sunset wrung the last bit of water out of her mane as they strolled through the town. Her hooves were getting a bit sore from the cold, and she felt like this endeavor was getting her nowhere fast.
"Where is this bakery this Party Favor works at again?" Sunset asked.
"It should be right around this, here we are!" Lulamoon said. They turned the corner to see a little building that resembled an old shack, built to resemble a blueberry muffin. "Muffin Mare Baked Goods, on the corner of Drury Lane." Sunset couldn't help but notice as a street performer nearby hit his drums and cymbal at the moment she said that. It was strange, but whatever, they were there.
"Finally, let's talk to this Party Favor and be done with it," Sunset said. "I want to see how the Princess is doing with the tablet."
"Um, Sunset, wait I wouldn't," Lulamoon tried to stop Sunset, but she just blindly went ahead, not knowing about the surprise Lulamoon was trying to warn her about. Sunset walked into the bakery to see the most amazing sight; the bakery was lined wall to wall with cakes, cookies, bread, and most of all muffins, all swirling together in an aroma of baked bliss. A blue-grey pegasus mare with a blonde mane was working the counter, she looked at Sunset with a smile and waved with her wing. Sunset didn't understand what Lulamoon was talking about, it all seemed like a perfectly normal bakery. The only weird thing was that everypony who came through the door seemed to exit from the sides, never just walking through the center like they were avoiding something. Sunset was befuddled by this until she looked to her hooves to see she'd inadvertently stepped on a tile, different from the rest of the bakery; this one was blue, with some sort of a mark that looked like a celebration. Sunset only stared and pondered, not noticing the blowhorn that was lowering behind her until it gave a bellowing blast that threw her forward. She fell flat on her face, eyes spinning as she got up, until they straightened from the next big shock; cannons of confetti began going off, one after the other, knocking her this way and that around the bakery, until she finally fell on her flank in the center and looked up at the sound of a trap door that simply released pounds of more confetti which essentially buried her.
"Hello! Hello! Helloooooo!" Out from behind the counter came an earth pony stallion with a light blue coat and a darker blue mane with turquoise streaks and confetti riddling every corner of it. He had a cutie mark of a pinata with a series of streamers and confetti flying around it, the same mark as the tile Sunset had stepped on, clearly, this was his doing. "Hey hiya howdy! My name's Party Favor, and you're new! You'd have to be, otherwise, you wouldn't have stepped on the Party Favor patented I'm-Gonna-Meet-A-New-Pony-Today Tile!" Out of nowhere, he began bouncing around and doing some sort of bit with a microphone and an AD screen, too fast for Sunset to understand, not that she had any idea he was even talking. "That's right, this special tile is the ultimate warning signal for an incoming potential new friend! Only $19.99, plus shipping and handling!" Sunset only looked blankly until she shook her head trying to get the weird feeling out of her ears.
"What?!" Sunset yelled.
"Why are you shouting?" Party Favor asked.
"What did you say?!" Sunset shouted again.
"Oops," Party said to himself. "I think my blowhorn might've made you go deaf!"
"I can't hear you, I think I've got confetti in my ears!" Sunset shouted.
"Oh, is that all?!" Party said. "Well, let's take care of that, shall we?" Before Sunset could ascertain what he'd said, he suddenly dragged out a large barbershop chair and spun her around in it, leaving her dizzy. Party Favor then proceeded to return from behind the counter in some sort of hairstylist outfit before suddenly stopping Sunset, and beginning work on her mane. "Okay doll, we're gonna make you GORGEOUS! First, we'll get all that nasty old confetti out of your ears, besides, Streamer Ears are so last July! Now we'll fix that mane of yours up, and make you beyootifuuul! Now, what style suits you best... The Coiffure? Nah, too ritzy? The Sweet Night? Nah, not exactly family friendly. Oh, The Luminara!.... Nah, too complicated." As Party Favor ran through mane-style after mane-style, Sunset just became closer to her breaking point with every tug of a split end. "OH! That's it, it's perfect; so you! Oh, I have some highlights in the back that will go great with this! Don't go anywhere, Hon." While he proceeded to rummage behind the shop's counter, Sunset grabbed hold of a passing pony to look in their Hoof Mirror, only to gasp at the horror that Party Favor had transformed her mane into; only the Bride of Frankenstallion could be more horrifying!
"Has this pony gone crazy?!" she grunted hopping out of the chair and shaking her mane back to normal.
"Calm down, Sunset," Lulamoon scoffed. "Party Favor's just trying to help out... In his own, special, way."
"I don't care if he's planning me a parade!" Sunset whispered in retaliation. "Let's just ask him about the entertainment, and get out of here before he decides to dye my mane a new color!" Lulamoon just shook her head and walked up to the counter, while Party Favor continued to rummage through its shelves.
"Sooo, Party Favor," she said grabbing his attention. "How're the decorations going for tonight? Got anything big planned?" Party Favor's eyes and smile widened in sheer ecstasy as he began rummaging quicker through the cabinets until he pulled out a diorama of the village, decorated in the most elaborate setting.
"I have a few," he said. Sunset's mouth just collapsed in shock at the detail put into this display, while Lulamoon seemed to possess no shock at this and only turned her head at him and raised an eyebrow, as to imply a deadpan response. "What?! This is the thousandth official Festival of the Winter Solstice! Go big, or go home!" Party Favor suddenly whipped his tail in three directions, which seemed to snap with him as he shook his head, sassily.
"B-but this is an elaborate setup!" Sunset exclaimed. "None of the town's even been decorated yet, how do you plan to..."
"Up-bup-buh!" Lulamoon said, shoving her hoof over her mouth before she could finish. "Trust me, unless you want some wild musical number, you really don't want to ask that question now. Thanks, Party Favor, we'll be sure to let the Princess know."
"Thanks a batch, Lules!" he replied just as a timer went off. "Speaking of which!" Party Favor then dashed to the wall, where an oven that nearly touched the ceiling was baking. He then bumped the wall with his flank, opening the oven and causing cupcakes to fall from it, just before he began catching them with the movements of a monkey. "Here! Have a cupcake!" Before she could respond, he slingshot a cupcake into Sunset's mouth, using his tail.
"Mmm, MMMHM!! Not bad!" Sunset said, almost bringing a smile to her face for the first time all afternoon. "Actually, it's pretty go..." Suddenly, Sunset's eyes began to water, and her face started to turn red, rendering her mute. Everypony waited to see what she would say next, but only one sound came out of her mouth. "FIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRE!!!!!!!!" Sunset began running all over the shop, with a small flame burning out of her mouth, until the point where she ran out the doors screaming.
"Party Favor, what was that?!" Lulamoon exclaimed.
"It's my latest creation," he began, in a poncho, sombrero, and fake mustache. "Chili Powder, Taco Spice, and Mexicoltan Ghost Peppers! AYE YI YI YI YI!!!!!" As he began shaking his maracas, only one thing could be seen in Lulamoon's face as she heard that.
"Why?!" she said.
"Because the Jalapeños didn't make it spicy enough," he said, confusing her even more. "What? For Cinco De Mayo, you need the absolute best. Fun Fact: Did you know it's not a holiday about Mayonnaise? You wouldn't believe how embarrassed I was when I made my first batch." Lulamoon only shook her head and ran out after Sunset, leaving Party Favor at the doors confused as he ate one of his own cupcakes and shrugged. "Still needs Cayan Pepper."
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sunset continued to run all over the village, searching endlessly for water, but getting stopped at every source she could find, even with snow all around her. Her mouth growing drier with each second, she eventually reached the castle, and taking drastic measures broke through the ice and dunked her head into the cold moat waters, leaving her mane partly frozen as she pulled it out.
“Sunset!” Lulamoon called out, running up to her. “Sunset, are you okay?!” Sunset only gave her a deadpan glare, which caused Lulamoon to back up a step.
“I’ve been effectively burned and froze in the head in the last 5 minutes,” Sunset deadpan replied. “Why do you ask?”
“Eheh, right,” Lulamoon replied, pulling out the list. “Well, according to this, we came to the right place. We’ve only got one more stop to make; we’ll need Shining Armor, the new Captain of the Royal Guard.” Sunset cracked the ice that had formed on her head and shook it off.
“Good,” she sneered. “Let’s get this over with, and get back to the Princess!” An adamant scowl on her face, the two unicorns proceeded to the training grounds. Behind the castle, a small courtyard lies scattered with weapons and armor across its walls and entire squadrons of guards in armor training at the ready. Leading them was a massive white coated unicorn stallion, with a blue mane and beard with a cutie mark of a shield with a sword behind it, with a six-pointed star engraved in the handle. As the mares walked toward him, he shouted commands to the guards with a mighty presence, which intimidated a bit.
“And, Thrust!” he cried out. “And, Parry! And Lun… Ah, alright, at ease soldiers, I must attend to business elsewhere.” The guards dispersed as he walked up to the two mares, and the moment he took off his helmet his entire demeanor seemed to change.
“Hello, Captain Armor, how goes training?” Lulamoon asked.
“Just fine,” he replied. “Good to see you again, Miss Lulamoon, I trust little Nebby is doing well.”
“Oh, yes, he’s as helpful as ever,” she replied. “We’re just here to check on the security for the festival, this is Sunset Shimmer, the Princess’ official appointed preparations overseer.”
“I see, it’s nice to meet you, Miss Shimmer,” he said to her extending his hoof to shake. Sunset said nothing, she just stood there with her mouth partly opened in some sort of a trance, a slight tint of red on her cheeks. “Ma’am? Hellooo?”
“Sunset!” Lulamoon whispered frustrated, before jabbing her with her elbow, snapping her out of it.
“Wha?! Um, huh?!” she stuttered. “Oh, um, sorry, y-yes Captain. I-it’s nice to m-m-eet you.” Sunset could only blush after awkwardly shaking his hoof, making him laugh a little bit in friendliness.
“You’re a little strange, I like you,” he said, making her blush even more before trying to hide a bit behind her mane. “Don’t you worry about the security, my troops are ready for anything and everything. Speaking of which, I’ve gotta get back to work, I hope I’ll get to see you both at the festival tonight. ALRIGHT, SOLDIERS, BACK IN FORMATION!!!” In an instant, his demeanor returned to before as he put his helmet back on and began commanding his troops again.
“Well, looks like that’s everything,” Lulamoon said as they walked off. “Shall we go ahead and check on the princess?” Sunset didn’t seem to respond, she only giggled a little bit at what had just happened, which just made Lulamoon roll her eyes with a smirk. “Sooo, I’m guessing we have a thing for Le Cap’tain?”
“What?! I, it’s not like that!” Sunset said, nervously.
“Oh, really?” Lulamoon teased. “I-I-I’m sure I d-don’t um-uh have any reason to think that!”
“Oh, Shush!” Sunset said embarrassed as she punched Lulamoon in the shoulder. “Trying to change to subject, she then asked, who’s Nebby?”
“Oh, he’s my…” Before Lulamoon could finish, the two of them ran into a stallion carrying a large stack of towels and water-filled tubs, which began to shake violently as he lost his balance. A tower of water about to cascade on Sunset, to add to everything else that had happened to her, if it hadn’t been for Lulamoon’s reflexes, freezing everything in a moment in time before everything could end in a wash.
“Oh, my, oh no! Are you okay?!” the stallion asked in a fluster. He was a young Pegasus, about their age, with an orange coat and a navy blue wind-swept mane and tail. He wore minimal armor, enough to show he was part of the guard but not of high rank, and his cutie mark showed a blue six-pointed shooting star with a vortex swirling around its head. Lulamoon restacked everything for him neatly, as he breathed the sigh of relief. “Thanks, Lulamoon, I owe you big time.”
“By my tally, you owe me Five Big Times,” she joked. “But, eh, who’s really counting?”
“But, you just said…” he began, confused.
“Do you really want to point that out when I’m trying to be nice?” she deadpanned. The stallion only shut his mouth and gestured a zipping of the lip, before saying anything else stupid.
“I thought a member of the guard would’ve been more careful,” Sunset interrupted.
“Oh, um, well,” the stallion began. “I’m not, exactly, officially a part of the royal guard… not yet…” Sunset only raised an eyebrow, confused as Lulamoon interjected.
“Sunset, this is Flash Warp,” she explained. “He’s a member of the Elite Guard, in training that is.”
“Yeah, I’m not much to look at, I just take care of the tedious jobs,” he continued. “Y’know, get this, fetch that, clean those, whatever they need.”
“Hey, rookie! You’ve got helmets to polish in the main barrack!” A guard shouted from across the hall.
“Yes, Sir!” Flash Replied. He began picking up the few towels that Lulamoon missed, while Sunset just watched even more confused than when she’d met Party Favor.
“This is what it takes to be a member of the Royal Guard?” she asked confused. “It kind of seems like you’re more of a… Towel Colt.” Flash wiped his brow as he grabbed the last towel, and prepared to lift the stack again.
“It’s not exactly the fighting monsters and crusades I had imagined,” he replied. “But I’ll get there, and for now it helps the troops.” With one giant grunt, he lifted the stack and began to take his leave. “I’ll see you, girls, later, those helmets won’t polish themselves.” Before he turned the next corner, a hoof suddenly came out, causing him to start to trip. In a wild flail, Flash tried to regain his balance, sending him swerving all over the room until he couldn’t hold it anymore and causing everything to spill. As a guard from behind the corner laughed at the sight, Lulamoon remained dry from her shield spell, while Flash and Sunset were soaked to the bone. Flash merely scowled at the one who pulled the prank, but Sunset’s face began to heat up, causing the water to almost instantaneously evaporate around her, until she let out an enraged sentence.
“That-is-it!” she shouted. In a huff, Sunset marched out of there, and in the direction of the throne room. Lulamoon’s eyes suddenly widened with worry before she dashed off after her, leaving Flash alone with the mess and a wise-guy guard handing him a mop.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
By the time Lulamoon caught up with Sunset, there was clearly no stopping her, but she had no choice but to try.
“Sunset, wait!” she attempted to reason with her. “I know this afternoon hasn’t exactly gone as planned…”
“Planned?!” she interjected. “I’ve had crumbs thrown into my mane, been buried in snow, gone deaf, had my mouth set on fire, and had buckets of water dumped on me; where exactly was the plan?!”
“Okay, okay, fair point,” she admitted. “But, you need to calm down before you see the Princess, or she’ll have your head!”
“Not if I get hers first!” Sunset shouted. The two of them reached the door as Lulamoon became more and more anxious.
“Sunset, wait!” she said. “You can’t go in there, not like this!”
“Watch me!” Sunset used her magic and opened the doors hard and fast, only to find the halls were completely empty; no guards, no delegates, no Luminara.
“What the,” Lulamoon said. “Where is everypony? Hello?! Guards?! Princess?!” Sunset ran in for some sign of what occured but was dumbfounded.
“She’s gone!” Sunset exclaimed. “What do we do?! We need to tell somepony!”
“And cause a panic?!” Lulamoon interjected. “We can’t! We don’t even know what happened!” Lulamoon quickly closed the doors behind them, as to prevent anyone else from hearing. “Look, we’ll just have to try and figure out where she is ourselves, and once we’ve determined if anything’s wrong, then we’ll tell someone! Just try and find something out of the ordinary for now: a misplaced object, signs of a struggle!” Sunset looked all around, trying to find even the most subtle of abnormalities. As she neared the throne, she noticed an odd indentation in the carpet; it seemed to be a hoofprint, but it was black and ashy, almost as if it was burned in.
“Huh?” Sunset looked down to find she’d stepped on some sort of stone fracture, and looked to find a few others along with more hoofprints, leading to behind the thrones. She walked over to find the most horrifying of sights. “Lulamoon, you might want to see this!” As she ran over, she joined Sunset in shock as the two of them looked at the scene. Scorch marks everywhere, the tapestries having been burned, and what remained of Sunburst’s tablet in shattered shambles. “There must’ve been an intruder, and Luminara tried to fend them off!” Lulamoon grew perceptive of the marks and walked up to take a closer look.
“Hmm, these burns here coincide with those of a teleportation spell,” she explained. “A massive one, maybe with multiple ponies, or a large object.”
“The intruder must’ve burst in, surprised the Princess so she dropped the tablet,” Sunset said. “And then she teleported her and anypony else who was here to safety.”
“Maybe, except these burns over here,” Lulamoon continued. “Are from some spell unlike any I’ve ever seen. Unless of course… They’re flame burns! You don’t think?!”
“Oh my Luminara,” Sunset said. “Day Blight’s back! She must’ve come for the Princess and taken her! Otherwise, she’d have sounded some alarm!”
“What do we do?!” Lulamoon said, in panic.
“Well, you’re her pupil!” Sunset said. “Don’t you know some kind of spell that can lead us right to her?!”
“They have teleported away, so any tracking spells are useless,” she explained. “And locator spells are really advanced, I don’t know any that can help us!”
“Then what?!” Sunset shouted.
“I don’t know!” Lulamoon said worriedly. “We’ll have to notify the guards, send out a search party, that’s all we can do. Come on!” Lulamoon ran ahead of Sunset, but before she could follow something began to glimmer in the rubble of the tablet, catching her eye.
“Lulamoon, wait!” she called to her. She doubled back and watched as Sunset pulled something of out the rubble with her magic. The dust settled to reveal a red tube, with golden highlights and a sun symbol on the front. Sunset twisted off the cap to find a dusty old scroll inside, nearly fallen apart.
“A scroll?” Lulamoon asked. “Why would there be a scroll in that rubble?”
“Because,” Sunset began. “Because it was in the tablet the whole time! Of course! It’s just like book 4 of Blinding Bolt: The Curse of the Unknown Treasure! They were searching for an antidote, but it was secretly sealed in the sacred statue the whole time! And this isn’t just a scroll…”
“It’s a map,” Lulamoon looked over her shoulder to see a map of Equestria; it seemed genuine, but there was something off about it. “This map is ancient, but if you look at it closely, it’s perfectly identical to a modern day map of Equestria. How is that possible?”
“I don’t know,” Sunset said. “But, if this is what I think it is, it’s the ancient map to the Elements of Harmony! Which means we now have a way to save Equestria! All we have to do is follow it, uncover the ancient tomb, and get past the traps to unlock an ancient magic and banish an evil demented sorceress!” Lulamoon only gave her a hard stare.
“Really,” she said deadpanned. “That’s the plan?!”
“Well, if Day Blight’s back, it’s the only chance we have at stopping her,” Sunset replied.
“But Sunset,” Lulamoon began. “This is all the way on the other side of Equestria, and the Princess is supposed to make an appearance, tonight! How do you think we’re gonna pull this off?”
“I don’t know, but we have to try,” she explained.
“But…” Lulamoon began.
“Look,” Sunset interrupted. “This may be our only shot, and I’ve got to look into it. You don’t have to come, tag along if you want, but I’m going one way or another.” Sunset walked out, scroll in bag, and by the look on her face her determination unwavering. Lulamoon was nervous, debating what to do until she couldn’t take it anymore and dashed after her.
“Wait for me!” she called out.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hours later, the sun had set and the stars were a glimmer. Utilizing everything from the trains to the taxis, Sunset and Lulamoon had made their way to the other side of Equestria. Deep within an uncharted jungle, the two of them trekked their way through the dense wood, in search of the long lost Chamber of the Elements of Harmony. Sunset’s expression remained adamant and determined, but Lulamoon’s was nervous and shaken; for this dark wood was unknown to the rest of Equestria, and even living in the Everfree Forest didn’t calm her nerves at this idea.
“Sunset, how sure are you that thing’s even real?” she asked nervously.
“I live with an archaeologist,” she explained. “After a while, you pick up a sense of these things.” Lulamoon tried to take her mind off the dark woods, but was unable, and kept hearing sounds everywhere.
“What was that?” she shrieked.
“A bush, you just stepped through it,” Sunset said, looking up at the sky and pondering. “Hmm, there’s just one thing I don’t understand. If Luminara’s gone, then who’s brought out the night sky?” Lulamoon only kept shuddering while Sunset was lost in thought. Lulamoon looked all around the treetops, searching for trouble, when she suddenly saw a dark silhouette dash through, scaring her stiff.
“What about that?!” she said pointing to where it was.
“Probably a squirrel,” Sunset replied, tired of that question. “Now will you calm down?”
“I’m a bookworm,” she replied. “I don’t belong out here, in this… wilderness.”
“Oh boy, look,” Sunset said, stopping them right there. “We’ve been here for hours, and nothing’s found us. It’s winter, anything dangerous tends to hibernate this time of year, and even if by some chance it’s awake, we have enough emergency supplies and magic between the two of us to drive it off. Now, will you stop worrying? There’s nothing out here.” Little did Sunset realize a shadow was lurking in the branches above, sneaking and spying until the branch it stood on finally gave out and sent it tumbling down on top of them. Slightly out of it, Sunset shook off the crash to find a familiar blue tail filled with confetti sitting in her face. “PARTY FAVOR?!” The earth pony lifted his head and gave a sheepish grin and laughed a little bit as Sunset shoved him off of her. He dusted the snow off himself and was wearing a heavy orange coat and winter hat. “What are you doing out here?!”
“What does it look like?” he replied. “I’m climbing in the trees and falling on ponies.”
“I mean, why are you out here, following us?!” Sunset replied angrily.
“Well,” he said putting on a Sherlock Holmes get up and started using a British accent. “It was elementary, my dear Trottson. Using my expert skills of deduction, I…”
“Party Favor,” Lulamoon deadpanned.
“Ehuh, I followed the others,” he said putting the costume away.
“Others?” the two unicorns said.
“Come on out guys, they’re onto us!” Party Favor called out. From behind the many hiding places of the jungle, one by one, out came Apple Pasty, Snow Banks, and Flash Warp, consecutively.
“Wouldn’t have found out, if you hadn’t opened your big muzzle,” Snow Banks said.
“I couldn’t help it!” Party Favor replied, putting on a thug costume. “The Coppas pried it out of me, I couldn’t fight it no more!”
“Will you be serious for once?!” Snow Banks interjected.
“Serious?! I’ll shows yous serious!” Party Favor retaliated.
“Hey, we were gonna show ourselves anyway,” Apple Pasty interjected, just before a skirmish. “So what’s the harm?”
“What’re you guys doing here?” Lulamoon asked. “Did you all follow us all the way from the village?”
“Mmmaybe,” Flash Warp said, stammering. He seemed to be trembling in his yellow scarf, boots, and earmuffs; nopony could tell if he was nervous or simply cold. “Look, I thought you might be in danger. Back at the castle, I came looking for you in the throne room, and I overheard everything. I was worried you might get in over your heads, so I went to Snow Banks for backup and here we are.”
“Ah, saw them run past my family farm, so Ah caught up with ‘em and tagged along,” Apple Pasty replied.
“I just sort of blindly followed when I saw them go through town,” Party Favor said. “I actually thought we were playing follow the leader until we got on the train.”
“Well, you should all be going home!” Sunset barked. “The stars are beginning to align, and we’re running out of time.”
“Hey, that rhymes!” Party Favor interjected.
“I’m serious,” Sunset said. “It’s crucial we find the secret chamber, and it’s too dangerous for you to be out here!”
“Well, that doesn’t seem to be stoppin’ you,” Apple Pasty said.
“If our Princess in in danger, it’s my job to help get her back,” Flash Warp replied.
“Yeah, besides if I turn back now, how am I gonna face real danger when I’m ridin’ with the Snow Breakers?!” Snow Banks concurred. Sunset only facehoofed herself in irritation.
“Look, we’re almost there, and this is a very delicate situation,” Sunset replied. “We don’t need more ponies adding more craziness onto our other craziness!”
“And what is that supposed to mean?!” Snow Banks interjected.
“I’m just saying…” As Sunset unwittingly got herself caught up in a heated argument, Party Favor who seemed impartial to anything said, took a seat on a strangely square rock. With a sudden rumble and shake, he got up to find a patterned switch where he’d sat as a massive door slid open from the ground below them.
“Um, guys,” he said, trying to get their attention away from the argument. “Guuuuuys…..” No one’s attention changed, as he became a bit more irritated until he gave one big shout. “GUYS!!!”
“What?!” everyone said, as they turned their heads to see Party Favor standing in the staircase to the place they’d been looking for.
“You coming, or what?” he said smugly as he walked down. Everyone ran down after him, except Sunset and Lulamoon, one of whom was too shocked to follow.
“I-but-he-that-it-they,” Sunset stammered. “And the switch, and the door, and the… what?!”
“At times like this, Sunset,” Lulamoon said trying to help her out of shock. “Don’t question it and just go with it.” Sunset wanted to stammer more, to get the shock out of her system, but as Lulamoon ran ahead, she realized there wasn’t time and just followed.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The six ponies walked down into a cold and very dark room, with very little light from the outside coming in. Sunset set her horn aglow to light the chamber, but not much could be seen by anypony.
“It’s so dark in here,” Apple Pasty said. “Anypony got a torch?”
“Hang on, I think I’m feeling a light switch,” Party Favor said.
“Party Favor, this is a centuries-old, secret, chamber for the most magical relics in Equestria,” Sunset said. “It’s not going to have a…” Before Sunset could finish, suddenly a series of torches lit up across the chamber and a skylight opened from the very center of the ceiling, revealing a massive round room with hundreds of hieroglyphs etched in the walls. Sunset turned around, toward the entrance to find Party Favor with his hoof having pulled down a sliding lever.
“I’m sorry, you were saying,” he said smugly. Sunset glared a bit but quickly turned her head to join everypony else, as they took in the spectacle of the chamber. Every individual slab on the wall told a story, in such artistic detail, simply taking their breath away at the sheer sight of it.
“Wow, look at this,” Apple Pasty said. “It looks like the founding of Equestria, thousands of years ago.”
“And check out this one,” Snow Banks said. “It’s two alicorns making friends with some unicorn at the top of a huge tower with a heart down at the bottom.”
“What do you think that means?” Flash Warp asked.
“I dunno,” Snow Banks shrugged.
“No way,” Lulamoon interjected. “This must be when the original Princess of the night sealed Day Blight into the twin moons with the Elements of Harmony.”
“Hmm, she kind of looks like Luminara,” Party Favor said, bouncing over.
“Oh come on Party,” Lulamoon replied. “This happened a millennium ago, Luminara would have to be centuries old.”
“What the?!” Everypony turned to see what Sunset was looking at and became just as surprised. “I think this one’s.. US! Right now!”
“What?! How is that possible?” Apple Pasty asked.
“The ancients used to guide Equestria with visions of the future they got from sages before they all went extinct,” Lulamoon explained. “Maybe this was made before they did, just like the map and the prophecy of the Mare in the Moon.”
“Hmmm,” Flash Warp pondered. “So maybe this next one shows what we’re supposed to do next!” Everypony turned their attention to look at a picture of what seemed to be them, all but Sunset, taking positions around a massive device with several spheres spinning around it.
“But, this picture looks like it takes place in this chamber,” Sunset said. “So then, where’s this weird-looking machine?” Sunset pointed at the strange machine in the picture and inadvertently pushed it down. The entire chamber began to wildly vibrate, as the center of the floor split open, and a golden clockwork device arose from it. Everypony gasped in awe, while Snow Banks walked ahead to the first of the spheres. “Snow Banks, wait! It might be rigged to…” Before she could finish, Snow Banks had placed his hoof on the first of the five spheres. Other than a warm yellow glow that began to surge through it, nothing seemed to happen.
“Guys!” he exclaimed. “If we want to get the Princess back, I think this is what we need to do to stop Day Blight!” Everypony looked at each other, in thought, and soon came to the same conclusion.
“Then what’re we waiting for?!” Flash Warp exclaimed. “Let’s save the world!” Everyone shouted in agreement as they all ran to their respective stations.
“Okay, Lulamoon, you’re at the middle sphere on the far right,” Sunset directed as Lulamoon took her place, bringing an orange glow to her sphere. “Flash and Pasty, you two are at the top two, with Flash on the higher one.” The two pegasi took their places and their spheres began to glow along with the rest, in hues of blue and white. “Party Favor, you take the last one over there.” Party nervously reached for the sphere but stopped just short of it. “Party, what’re you doing? We need to do this if we want to get Luminara back!”
“Well, I…” he said nervously, just before fluffing his mane and tail to resemble wool. “I’m no lamb, but some reason I’ve just got a baa-d feeling about this.” Sunset looked through the skylight to see the stars moving above, which made her more nervous with every second that passed.
“Party Favor, the stars have almost finished aligning,” she said. “If we’re going to do this, we need to do it now!” Everypony acknowledged in agreement as Party Favor nervously touched the sphere, giving it a friendly pink glow. Everypony waited in anticipation, anxiety running down their spines at the sheer insanity that was about to befall them. Until…. Nothing happened, no change, no sudden events, nothing at all.
“Where’s the boom?” Snow Banks asked, breaking the silence. “I was expecting a boom.”
“Yeah, how come nothing happened,” Flash Warp asked.
“Maybe we did it out of order?” Apple Pasty said.
“Maybe Sunset’s supposed to have her own?” Party Favor asked.
“Well, the hieroglyphs didn’t exactly come with instructions,” Lulamoon said, maybe we should back up and try again.”
“Okay,” Snow Banks said, attempting to move his hoof but couldn’t. “What the? Ugh-hngh! Hey, I can’t move!”
“Dnngh! Me neither!” Flash Warp exclaimed.
“What’s goin’ on?!” Apple Pasty began to panic.
“I didn’t bring any honey, so how come I’m in this sticky situation?!” Party Favor yelled, trying wildly to free himself.
“Oh no, this must be a trap!” Lulamoon exclaimed. “We have to get out of here before it’s too late!”
“Actually, I think it already is,” Sunset said in extreme worry. As the stars above finally aligned, the moon began to glow and quickly went dark, causing everything to become hidden deep within the shadow. Suddenly, the five spheres began to glow, as energies started to flow down their pedestals from them and into the core of the device. Out of nowhere, Sunset’s horn began to glow with a spell, firing a surging blast into the heart of the device with the rest of them. “What’s going oooooooaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!” Sunset shrieked in sheer agonizing pain as a mysterious force purged her magic from her body. By the time it all stopped, all went dark again, and the six ponies finally found themselves free of the machine’s hold, while Sunset collapsed in fatigue. Everypony ran to her side, just as she regained consciousness. “I-I’m fine, really. It just knocked the wind out of me for a second.”
“What was that thing?!” Flash Warp asked, helping Sunset to stand. Before anypony could say anything else, the ground began to rumble again, as the device once again started to glow with searing white light.
“I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s over!” Lulamoon cried out. A tremendous beam of white light blinded the ponies as it fired itself through the sunroof and straight into the moon. As the quakes became more intense, the moon began to come apart with a crumbling crack, and a thunderous voice could be heard in a demonic laugh that could be heard by everypony across Equestria; including that of a shadowy figure that loomed in the upper towers of the Castle of Everfree.
I am inferno incarnate,
I am the physical manifestation of the sun itself!
The flames bend to my will alone,
And all those that burn cower in fear of my mighty presence!
I scorch the very world I walk upon,
I incinerate all that I touch with all-consuming wrath!
A thousand years I have been trapped within the confines of that wretched moon!
And now, I-Am-FREE!!!
As the voice stopped, the moon finished cracking, and all of a sudden split in half, sending a fiery rocket from its core and right into the room in which the ponies were held. A blazing crash blinded them all, and when the smoke finally lifted stood in front of them a ferocious presence. A towering orange alicorn with sinister golden armor and flames coming from her mane, tail, and the edges of her wings. She had a dark fiery sun cutie mark, surrounded by flames, and dark red eyes that screamed infernal death when you looked into them.
“I have returned!” she bellowed. “All bow to your one true master, DAY BLIGHT!!!!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!” The mare gave out a villainous cackle as the ponies froze there in complete fear.
“I told you this was a bad idea,” Party Favor squeaked out.
“So, if I’m following this right,” Flash Warp began. “Day Blight never did manage to come and assault Luminara… Because she was still trapped in the moon.”
“Was, being the keyword here,” Lulamoon stammered. “Whatever was keeping her in the moon was some kind of seal spell, and whatever those spheres were, they were the keys keeping it together.”
“But, then we went and turned the keys and broke the seal,” Apple Pasty said.
“Meaning we just freed her after one thousand years,” Snow Banks said.
“And I couldn’t thank you more!” Day Blight shouted. “I promise, you shall all be greatly rewarded, as the first subjects of my new Solar Empire! Because, from this moment on, say goodbye to the night! For this is when it dies, and the daylight shall last FOREVER!!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!” The blazing alicorn let out another monstrous cackle as the flames around her head began to dance around the chamber and out the sunroof, rocketing up towards the sky as the sun rose overhead, pulsing with ever greater firepower as the flames surged into it. Nopony could say a word, except Sunset, who could only ask the one question everypony was already asking themselves but was too terrified to say.
“…. What have we done…..”